Summer is finally here and with it comes the sizzle and aroma of grilled burgers wafting through the air.

Sure, it's fun to make them yourself while on a camping trip or at a backyard barbecue. Other times, you'll want to pass the spatula off to one of the region's many burger masters.

This installment of our "Best of Summer" series focuses on burgers. More than 300 readers voted on their favorite place to get them, and here -- drum roll, please -- is the winner: Sycamore Drive-In Restaurant in Bethel.

The place: Sycamore Drive-In Restaurant, 282 Greenwood Ave., Bethel

The history: Pulling up to Sycamore is like entering a time warp. From the vintage neon sign to the French-style steakburgers, little has changed about this roadside institution since it opened 60-plus years ago. Patrick Austin, who owns Sycamore Drive-In with his parents, Gene and Christine, and his sister, Kathy, points to its namesake, a 600-year-old sycamore tree, as a symbol for both the restaurant's longevity and unique place in the region's culinary landscape. "You have all these chains, which are fine, but there's only one of us," Austin said. "You can try to duplicate what we have here, but it can never be the same."

The vibe: Think Mel's Drive-In from "American Graffiti" or Lou's Cafe from "Back to the Future." Sycamore harkens back to the heyday of drive-in restaurants, boasting black-and-white tile floors, buzzing neon signs, old-school memorabilia and an antique jukebox that plays hits by Elvis, Fats Domino and Nat King Cole. There's even a Ms. Pac Man arcade game.

The crowd: Families, mostly, with a smattering of teens, 20-somethings and retirees.

Best seat: Booth No. 5, the seat on the far left hand side of the front dining room. "You can see everything that goes on, especially during lunch time," Austin said. "You can see the waitresses coming off the line and everybody bustling during rush hour." Also, try a seat on a swivel stool at the counter, which gives you a view of Sycamore's open kitchen.

What I tried: The Dagwood Burger -- five ounces of ground steak topped with a slice of American cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickle, onion, tomato slices, lettuce and a touch of mayonnaise slapped on a toasted, buttered bun. The burger is built around two pancake-thin, spatula-smashed slivers of fresh ground round steak (courtesy of Danbury's Omaha Beef Co.) that are crispy around the edges and soft and juicy in the middle -- the perfect marriage of textures. The price is right, too: a mere $6 and change, and that's the most expensive burger on the menu.

Must-have drink: Homemade root beer. The recipe, which includes "lots of sugar," is "somewhere between straight root beer and cream soda," Austin said. Rich and creamy, it comes from a secret recipe that has been passed down from owner to owner for 40 years. You can enjoy it straight up, but I recommend having it as a root beer float.

Bonus: Summer Cruise Nights. Every Saturday night from 6 to 9 p.m., classic car owners pull up to the Sycamore and show off their wheels. Once again, Mel's Drive-In comes to mind.

Second place: Five Guys, Brookfield/Shelton/Newtown/Westport/Norwalk/Stamford